This invention relates to a nondigestible oil containing a solid nondigestible oil component, which can flow at ordinary and ambient storage temperatures, and to a process for making the flowable nondigestible oil.
Numerous patents have been directed to providing materials which have the physical and gustatory characteristics of triglyceride fats, but which are absorbed to a low extent or not at all by the body. These materials are referred to variously as noncaloric fats, pseudofats, nondigestible fats and fat substitutes. Patents pertaining to such materials include U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,927. Fulcher, issued Apr. 15, 1986, (fatty esters of malonic acid); U.S. Pat. No. 4.582,715. Volpenhein, issued Apr. 15, 1986, (alpha acetylated triglycerides); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,548, Whyte, issued May 18, 1981. (triglycerides of alpha-branched chain carboxylic acids).
One particular type of compound which has achieved considerable attention as a nondigestible fat is sucrose polyester (i.e., sucrose in which at least four of the eight hydroxyl groups are esterified with a fatty acid). U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,186, Mattson, issued Aug. 17, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,213, Hollenbach et al. issued Jan. 11, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,782, Robbins et al. issued Jul. 24, 1984 describe the use of this material as a nondigestible fat in a variety of food compositions.
A problem associated with use of liquid nondigestible oils, i.e., those having a melting point below body temperature (about 37xc2x0 C.), is an undesired passive oil loss effect, which is manifested in leakage of the liquid nondigested fat through the gastrointestinal tract""s anal sphincter. Regular ingestion of moderate to high levels of completely liquid forms of these polyol polyesters can produce this passive oil loss. U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,195, Jandacek, issued Jan. 25, 1977, discloses the combining of higher melting fatty materials such as solid triglycerides and solid sucrose polyesters with the liquid sucrose polyesters in order to control oil loss.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,300 (Jandacek et al.), issued Jan. 10, 1989 discloses the use of certain solid sucrose polyesters which have high oil binding capacity for liquid sucrose polyesters (SPE) and liquid triglycerides, when used at levels of about 10% to 25% in said oils. It is disclosed that because of their high oil binding capacity, these solid sucrose polyesters have outstanding utility as agents to prevent passive oil loss of liquid nondigestible sucrose polyesters, and they are also useful as non-caloric hardstocks to use with liquid digestible or nondigestible oils in the preparation of semi-solid fat products such as shortenings and margarines. The oil binding agents of the Jandacek et al. ""300 patent are solid sucrose polyesters wherein the ester groups consist essentially of a mixture of short chain saturated fatty acid ester radicals (C2-C10) and long chain saturated fatty acid radicals (C20-C24) in a molar ratio of short chain to long chain of from about 3:5 to about 5:3, and wherein the degree of esterification is from about 7 to about 8. Jandacek et al. also disclose plastic shortening and other food compositions containing 10-25% of the solid SPE.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,195 (Jandacek), issued Jan. 25, 1977 describes a means of preventing the undesirable oil loss effect through the addition of the polyesters as oil-loss control agents. The oil-loss control agents include solid fatty acids (melting point 37xc2x0 C. or higher) and their triglyceride sources, and solid polyol fatty acid polyesters. Specifically C10-C22 saturated fatty acid polyesters are said to be useful at levels of at least 10%, preferably at least 20%.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,514 (Letton et al.), issued Apr. 26, 1994, discloses edible oil compositions containing a) a liquid nondigestible oil having a complete melting point below about 37xc2x0 C. and b) a solid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melting point above about 37xc2x0 C., wherein the weight ratio of b) to a) is from about 1:99 to about 9:91. The solid polyol fatty acid polyester consists of (i) a polyol having at least about 4 hydroxyl groups, wherein at least about 4 of the hydroxyl groups of the polyol are esterified, and (ii) ester groups comprised of (a) fatty acid radicals selected from the group consisting of C12 or higher unsaturated fatty acid radicals, C2-C12 saturated fatty acid radicals, or mixtures thereof, and (b) C20 or higher saturated fatty acid radicals, at a molar ratio of (a):(b) being from about 1:15 to about 1:1. In the solid polyol polyester at least 15% by weight of the fatty acid radicals C20 or higher saturated fatty acid radicals. Further, the slope of the SFC profile of the mixture of a) and b) between 37xc2x0 C. and 21.1xc2x0 C. is between 0 and about xe2x88x920.75.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,515 (Letton et al.), issued Apr. 26, 1994, discloses pourable compositions containing a solid polyol fatty acid polyester, having a complete melting point above about 37xc2x0 C., a liquid nondigestible oil having a complete melting point below about 37xc2x0 C., less than about 90% by weight of a digestible oil having less than 5% solids at 21xc2x0 C.; and less than 10% hardstock; wherein the ratio of (A) to (B) is from about 1:99 to about 9:91 and wherein the pourable composition has a yield point of not more than about 100 dynes/cm2. The solid polyol fatty acid polyester consists of (i) a polyol having at least about 4 hydroxyl groups, wherein at least about 4 of the hydroxyl groups of the polyol are esterified, and (ii) ester groups comprised of (a) fatty acid radicals selected from the group consisting of C12 or higher unsaturated fatty acid radicals, C2-C12 saturated fatty acid radicals or mixtures thereof, and (b) C20 or higher saturated fatty acid radicals at a molar ratio of (a):(b) being from about 1:15 to about 2:1. In the solid polyol polyester at least 15% by weight of the fatty acid radicals are C20 or higher saturated fatty acid radicals. Further, the slope of the SFC profile of the mixture of (A) and (B) between 37xc2x0 C. and 21.1xc2x0 C. is between 0 and about xe2x88x920.75, and the combined level of (A) and (B) in said composition is at least 10% by weight. Examples include compositions containing 65 wt. % liquid digestible triglyceride oil.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flowable nondigestible oil composition containing a solid at ambient temperature which is flowable at ordinary and ambient temperatures, and which can subsequently be used as an edible nondigestible oil providing good passive oil loss control and good organoleptic properties to foods prepared with them.
A flowable nondigestible oil composition of the present invention comprises a) a liquid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point less than 37xc2x0 C., and b) a solid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point of at least about 37xc2x0 C. The flowable nondigestible oil has a Consistency (K) within the temperature range of 20-40xc2x0 C. of less than about 600 P.sec(nxe2x88x921), where K is determined from a power law model fit of the apparent viscosity versus shear rate data (see Analytical Method Section), and n is the shear index (dimensionless). Preferably, the flowable nondigestible oil has a Consistency of less than about 400 P.sec(nxe2x88x921) at a temperature range of 20-40xc2x0 C. The flowable nondigestible oil composition contains the solid polyol fatty acid polyester in the form of small crystal particles, typically having a largest dimension of less than about 30 microns, preferably less than about 10 microns, more preferably between 1 and 30 microns, even more preferably between 1 and 10 microns,and most preferably of about 2 to about 5 microns.
The present invention also provides a process for making a flowable nondigestible oil, wherein the nondigestible oil comprises a) a liquid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point less than 37xc2x0 C., and b) a solid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point of at least about 37xc2x0 C. The process comprises the steps of melting completely the nondigestible oil composition containing the solid polyol fatty acid polyester, rapidly cooling the melted nondigestible oil to a crystallization temperature, thereby rapidly crystallizing at least a substantial portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester, and shearing the nondigestible oil composition during the step of crystallizing to form the flowable nondigestible oil composition. Optionally, following the crystallizing and shearing steps, the process can include the step of tempering the crystallized nondigestible oil composition for a time sufficient to substantially completely crystallize all of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester, the step of adding a stabilizing amount of a diluent liquid, typically a liquid polyol fatty acid polyester, to the crystallized nondigestible oil composition, or both steps.
These compositions are capable of being stored in a flowable state at ambient and ordinary storage temperatures. Storage at ambient and ordinary temperature avoids exposure of the composition to high temperatures (generally greater than 50xc2x0 C.) usually associated with storage and handling of the nondigestible oil composition in a molten form. Making and storing the nondigestible oil in a flowable form allows the nondigestible oil to be easily handled at ambient handling and storage temperatures, which minimizes the effect of heat and high temperature on the chemical stability of the polyol fatty acid polyester. This results in greater oxidative and flavor stability during extended storage of the nondigestible oil and of food products containing the nondigestible oil. This is particularly advantageous when the liquid polyol fatty acid polyester component of the nondigestible oil is made from an un hardened (non-hydrogenated) source oil, such as unhardened cottonseed oil. In addition, the flowable nondigestible oil of the present invention can be utilized as a carrier for the application or incorporation of ingredients to foods products, such as flavorings, seasonings, and vitamins.